Sons

Egon came down the stairs, long limbs swinging as he hummed a snip of Verde's Summer Entreaty. The one bar had been repeating itself over and over in his head all day and he found it most annoying.

"Egon, mail for you!" Janine called, holding up a manila envelope and waving it temptingly. Curious the tall blonde went over and took the official looking envelope in hand, frowning as he turned it over to read the return address. The words leapt out at him without warning and he gave an involuntary gasp of shock.

"Egon?" Janine asked, concerned by the sudden drain of color from his face. Egon swayed where he stood, black dots dancing before his eyes.

No, it couldn't be. It couldn't be!

Ignoring Janine's concerned inquiry he turned and fled back up the stairs, pausing only to pull the door behind him. In the safety of the lab he tore open the envelope. It was what he feared, and with a desolate cry Dr. Egon Spengler crumpled to the ground, clutching at the side of the nearest piece of half finished equipment and holding on for dear life.



Not five minutes later the other Ghostbusters came home from the days work and a worried Janine sent them strait up to see what the matter was with her favorite scientist. She trailed them up the stairs; worried by the look she had seen on his face. Egon had seemed devastated.

When the guys got to the lab door they paused to glance at each other in concern. From beyond the door the sound of distraught sobbing reached them. The sound was deep and raw, and the last thing they expected of their phlegmatic teammate. After a hasty consultation Peter led the way inside.

"Egon, what is it?" Peter knelt down and rested his hands gently on his friend's shoulders. "We're here. What ever it is buddy, we're here for you."

Automatically Egon turned to him and burrowed into his chest as if seeking shelter. Peter noticed the tightly held note still wadded in Egon's hand. He held Egon to him and rubbed comfortingly at his back, then pried the note free, being careful not to dislodge the scientist from his place of safety.

Distressed as Egon was, having him feel abandoned and withdrawing into himself would be a very bad idea right now. Peter read the note.

"Damn it," he snarled, holding his friend protectively closer. "Damn it all." He looked over at Ray with worried eyes. "The bastards told. His son's coming."

"His son!" Janine and Winston echoed in shock.

"I thought he had a 'do not contact' clause." Ray murmured, running a hand through his hair in agitation as he knelt to rest a hand on Egon's shoulder.

"Laws change Ray, this says they can disclose anyway, the kid got access." Peter ran a comforting hand down Egon's back, concerned at the shaking he felt.

"He's going into shock, Ray, could you grab a blanket, the one at the foot of my bed will do." Peter rocked back and forth, holding his friend tightly and trying to comfort and keep him warm.

Janine and Winston decided silently to go back down stairs, leaving Egon in the care of his two oldest friends.


A little later Ray came down and joined Winston and Janine at her desk. He'd brought warm drinks for them all and handed them out silently.

"Is he, is he going to be alright?" Janine asked, her eyes conveying her concern.

"Peter's not sure." Ray answered softly, not feeling up to judging himself. He took a long, nervous sip of his drink, then put the mug firmly down on the table. He breathed in deeply, then let it out in a sigh before beginning to talk.

"Peter wants me to tell you what happened. He doesn't want Egon to have to do it, and he wants you guys to try not to quiz him about it later. I think Peters really worried." Ray looked over at the stairs and bit his lip. He'd left his two friends in the bedroom, Peter had
all but carried Egon there and covered him up with blankets. He was sitting by Egon's side, holding his hand and murmuring reassurances to him while he stroked Egon's pale hair. He'd put a little something in the hot milk he'd got Ray to warm up for him and Egon was slowly drifting towards sleep.

He wanted to go back upstairs and be with Peter, the guy needed support, but he had a tale to tell first. He'd better get on with it.

"This all happened before we met him, when Egon first told his dad he didn't want to go to his old university, he wanted to go to Columbia instead. Mr. Spengler was mad, it was about the first time Egon had ever openly gone against his wishes and he went ballistic. He told him he was a fool and a...a bad scientist, with faulty theory!" His listeners gasped in horror. Nothing could have stung more; Egon was always careful and meticulous in the laboratory. They waited for Ray to go on.

"He cut Egon off without a penny, said if he wanted to go to Columbia so much he could do it on his own. Luckily Egon had an inheritance from his great aunt to fall back on. That made his dad angry too, but there was nothing he could do about it.

But Egon was really cut up about how it all happened, he felt like he'd disappointed his father and he wanted to make it up to him. So he asked his dad if there was anything he could do to make up for falling short of his expectations." Ray took another deep breath
before plunging on. He remembered how emotionless Egon's voice had been when he'd told them about it years ago. It had given Ray chills, the worst kind. The 'I don't want to hear what he's about to say' kind. And he'd been right, he wished he didn't know about it, or rather, that it had never happened.

"His dad said yes, there was something he could do. He...he wanted Egon, he asked him to...he got him to donate sperm to a fertility clinic." Ray's eyes welled with tears. He couldn't believe Mr. Spengler had asked that of Egon. It was so, so mean!

"Jesus! You're saying his old man basically told him he was no good, except as a sperm donor for the next generation of Spengler's?" Winston looked scandalized and mad as hell. "What an asshole!"

"Um, yeah. He did tell Egon that he donated there himself. He'd been approached by the clinic, they 'specialized' in donors who had genius IQ's. The clinic tried to get Egon to donate again, sending notes and stuff. That's how we found out about it. Peter sent 'em a rude note and they never bothered us again. Before that he always got real quiet every time he got a note and sent back a refusal. I don't think he would ever have gone ahead with the donation in the first place if he hadn't been so vulnerable right then. Peter, Peter said some harsh things that one time he met Egon's dad. I don't want to think what he'd say to him right now."

"I got a few things I'd want to say to him." Winston growled. Janine put a soothing hand on his shoulder and he reluctantly calmed down.

"When's this kid coming to see him, Ray? Do you know if there are...any more?" Janine hesitated to ask, but found she had to know. Poor Egon.

"No, they tell you when a child gets conceived from your sperm, and Egon only had the one notification. God, I hope the kid turns out okay. If he had a hard childhood or something, I don't think Egon will be able to handle it."

"Know what you mean, man." Winston agreed with him, resting a comforting arm around Ray and Janine's shoulders. "Know what you mean."



"Well?" Ray asked in an anguish worn voice as Peter came and slouched onto the rec room's sofa.

"God, he looks like Egon. Only with a crew cut." Peter closed his eyes and rested his head back against the sofa back. "He's brainy like Egon, too. Little know it all. I used to hate kids like that when I was in school, they made me feel stupid. I was the stupid one,
didn't realize how good I had it compared to them. Remember how Egon once told us his folks wouldn't talk to him for a week because he didn't get an A on something at school? Well, that's how this kids been brought up, only more so. He just accepts that he's gotta be cleverer than everybody else and that's it."

Peter rubbed tiredly at his aching forehead. It had been hard, seeing the kid and knowing Egon had probably been like that at his age. So controlled and well mannered. He'd wanted to hit something, badly.

"His mom wanted them to meet, it was all her idea. She thought the two of them could 'build on their higher intellect together'. Egon's going to put him in touch with his Uncle Cyrus, that way he can talk science to his heart's content with 'someone who understands his brilliance'. That woman, the mother, she drove me nuts. Thank god for Egon getting to see the kid, that's all I can say. He needs to have contact with someone who doesn't think he's the Second Coming - or should be, or that he's a freak like the kids he goes to school with. We should be able to reverse some of the damage, get him at least a little socialized. It won't be easy though. Not with his mom pushing to have the youngest Nobel Prize winner, like, now."

"Gee, that sounds bad." Ray perched on the seat next to him. "Um, how was Egon? Did he...does he like...?" Ray trailed off, unable to continue.

"Oh, yeah." Peter said, opening his eyes and looking up at the roof. "He likes the kid, alright. More than likes, actually." Peter sat up and looked over at his friend, something unsettling in his deep green eyes.

"Egon fell in love with him, Ray. I saw it happen. He looked, and looked again and...and it's just not going to happen, you know? He wants the kid to come live with us, get a chance at leading a normal life, wants to show him, I don't know, sunsets and softball games, stuff like that. But his mom won't let him, and truth? I don't think the kid's that interested, either. He wants an add-on to his base of reference, not a dad. Shit, Ray. He didn't want Egon as a father, but a resource. Isn't that a kick in the pants?" He blinked and a tear made its way down his face. He scrubbed at it with the back of his hand, but it was soon followed by another one, and another.

Ray leaned forward and gripped his shoulder, trying not to intrude with Peter's internal struggle for control, just being supportive. Peter nodded and lent his head back on the sofa again, closing his eyes. The tears continued to leak out for a couple of minutes more,
but eventually they stopped and he sat up again. Straightening his tie grimly he stood up and took a few steps before stopping and turning back to Ray, who still sat looking forlorn on the sofa.

"Hey, don't let my little display there fool ya." He said, trying on a slightly wobbly crooked grin. "So long as Egon's got us, what's he need a snotty nosed brat for anyway?"

They looked at each other silently for a moment, their eyes saying things their mouths dare not speak. Then Ray got up and gestured at the kitchen. "Egon didn't eat breakfast this morning, he was too nervous. I've still got all the makings of blueberry pancakes. Think he'd like it if I made him a batch now?"

"Yeah, Tex." Peter reached up and gently mused his hair. "I think he'd love that. And I might even make some of my special sauce to go with it." He dropped a friendly arm around Ray's shoulders and they headed over to the kitchen, planning a meal fit for a king.

 Email the Author  |  Home  |  Back to Index

Back to Fire Frog